Through Another's Eyes
by A Hopeless Romantic
Summary: Lucas and Maya and their confusing, sweet, flirty relationship as seen by other people. Gift/challenge fic for tiramisuspice
1. Rebel

**Alright, bear with me on this ride. This is a series of one-shots/drabbles/ficlets/headcanons that may sometimes be interconnected. Then again they may wind up being contradictory as well, we'll just have to see.**

 **So this whole series is both a gift, and a challenge, to tiramisuspice, who is considered a godsend in the Lucaya community. Every time she posts an update to the quintessential bible of Lucaya fics, 'Love and War', I will update the series. Keep in mind I am nowhere near her level in speed, but I sure as hell plan to commit to it! I issued the challenge as of Chapter 22 of 'Love and War' if you want keep score.**

 **Each chapter will be a POV piece of Lucaya through the eyes of someone else. My only rule to myself is that it can't be the 'core four' (Riley, Maya, Lucas and Farkle) or Cory. Also, after reading the chapter entitled 'Whoops' in 'Love and War', I am convinced that it is the greatest headcanon ever of Katy Hart. So she's off the list too. I cant compete with that!**

 **POV character: Brandon/ The Rebel**

 **Characters: Brandon/Rebel, Maya, Lucas, Riley**

 **Non-Lucaya pairings: Briley**

 **Comments: Since this is tiramisuspice's gift, I wanted to start off with a character close to her heart. In fact if you see any Rebel/Riley (Briley) pairings in ANY fic, it's almost certainly due to her influence on the GMW fanfiction community. What power!**

After almost a year away, John Quincy Adams' Middle School's favorite rebel was returning.

Now most students would probably be wistful looking up at the large double doors that marked the entrance to the school, some may even be sentimental considering they would have been away from their friends for 10 months. Brandon, however, couldn't be bothered. He breezed through the school doors muttering to himself and rolling his eyes.

"Stupid Q. Why do I even bother asking for advice?" he mumbled, speeding past freshmen and sophomore. A couple of girls gathered around the lockers spotted him and began to whisper and giggle. Brandon streamlined past them having no time for their shenanigans. He was still reliving the events from earlier that morning.

 _A notepad flew across the room, landing squarely on his book bag. Brandon looked up from munching on his Poptart to see his goofy, older brother grinning by the door. Quentin, or Q as Brandon called him, was tossing an eraser from hand to hand looking to the open mouth of the book bag._

" _Weren't you supposed to be on the subway 5 minutes ago, Greasehead?" Q questioned, nodding to the alarm clock blinking 7:35. Brandon's eyes narrowed. He hated that stupid nick name. He spit the chewed up bits of sugary pastry at Q, watching as his elder brother ducked quickly._

" _Shut up Q! You know I hate that name." The younger of the two glares. "And I'll get to school, when I get to school. Who care's if I'm late?"_

" _Methinks the teachers may have something to say about it." Q sneers before lining up his shot. The eraser soars through the air in a perfect arc before landing... a full foot short of the book bag._

 _Brandon smirks and holds his head high. "Loser." he taunts before he picking up the eraser and side tossing it into the bag. He then zips up the bag, shoves the rest his breakfast into his mouth before walking past his brother and out the door, crumbs trailing behind him._

 _When Q catches up to Brandon in the kitchen, he is chugging down OJ out of the carton. Q rolls his eyes, yanks the carton from his brothers mouth and pours some juice into the glass sitting a foot away._

" _So first day back to school. You worried? Think the teachers are still mad at you? Think the cute girls still remember you" he teases and winks slyly at the junior of the two._

" _Doesn't matter." Brandon mutters. "They'll have their own opinion made up before I've even stepped foot in there. Probably think my absence is due to some act of school terrorism or delinquency." He hates that some people take one look at him and label him as trouble. 'Who are they to judge me? No one even knows me.' he thinks to himself._

" _That's because they don't know you, idiot." Q always had an irritating way to know what he was thinking. "Screw them if they judge you." Q snaps his fingers suddenly, idea springing to his head. "You know what you need?" he asks, leaning across the kitchen table, face splitting in two._

 _Brandon know immediately that he is going to regret it, but he could actually use some advice from his elder brother. Plus Q is going to keep grinning down at him with that look in his eye that says he's not going to let Brandon leave with out finishing this conversation. "What ?" he winces, waiting for whatever stupid answer falls out of his moronic brothers mouth._

" _GET A GIRLFRIEND!" Q yells even though Brandon is five feet away. He stretches his arms out, as if it's the answer to the meaning of life. A beat passes. Then two. Rebellious teenage stares at clownish adult, neither of them blinking for a moment before Brandon's hands rise to his forehead and massage at his temple._

" _And this, is why I should never ask you for advice." he shakes his head and gets up. "You turned into a real pea-brain ever since you and Margo started up college. Maybe I should as her for advice." he reference his brothers much cooler girlfriend who they have know forever. 'No point staying here now' he thinks walking away. Nothing is gonna stop him from getting out of the house and away from his idiot brother._

" _Brandon." Well, nothing except that. Quentin has called Brandon a lot of names: Greasehead, loser, dumbass. Hell, Q was the first person to call him 'Rebel'. But very rarely does he ever call his little brother by his first name. Brandon turns around, eyebrows raised._

" _Seriously. Find a girl who just like you for you. Someone who you can talk to and share stuff with. Someone who won't judge you, because she already knows who you really are." Q is speaking softer, more seriously, but a gentle smile is on his face. "Trust me little bro, nothing else matters when some you care about has your back."_

Brandon pulls out a stick of gum from his gray jacket pocket and pops it into his mouth hoping it will distract him from his thoughts. As he passes by the locker rooms and restrooms he hears snippets of conversations around him.

"I heard he was expelled and black-mailed his way back in..."

"No, the Rebel totally got arrested, but they kicked him out of 'juvy' due to overcrowding."

"I was told, he hit on the female superintendent of the school district and she had him suspended for the year."

"He toured the west coast with that new rock band as a roadie. I heard he subs on the drums sometimes for them."

"...bootcamp..."

"...lost at sea..."

"...hired to work on an overseas movie set..."

"...kidnapped by aliens..."

Well, there were a lot of rumors floating around about him, like he knew there would be. Some were pretty ridiculous, but none were anywhere close to the truth. He put on his 'Rebel' face and continued walking towards the History rooms. As he turned the corner he saw two figures leaning against the lockers that he recognized. Maya Hart and Lucas Friar, arguing, or so it seemed.

"Listen up Huckleberry, just because we got paired up for this stinking project doesn't mean that I have to value your opinion" the golden haired beauty said teasingly trying to push some buttons. "After all, you were probably going to suggest we do it on some kooky animal shelter or special-needs ranch."

Lucas seemed unfazed. He smiled down at the short blonde giving as good as he got. "If that's what you feel is best, ma'am." His smile bloomed into a full blown grin, eyes dancing in mirth. "But, I 'reckon' it's better than your idea of starting a donation drive for 80's rock band shirts."

"See, this is what I'm talking about. You have no idea what you're saying. Everyone love rock band shirts, and everyone has an old pair. Then we turn them around and sell them as 'vintage'. Trust me, people love things that someone else has loved." The two of them had slowly drifted closer to each other, less and less distance separating them. Neither of them seemed upset to Brandon, however. In fact, he would say they were happy about it.

"Aww, come on Maya. Step out of your comfort zone and you might learn to like something new. Lets do the animal shelter project." He grinned wider as he challenged her. "Don't be such a Clutterbucket."

Maya's hand shot out and grabbed Lucas' collar, faster then anything Brandon had ever seen. "What did you just call me Ranger Rick?" she questioned, eyebrow arched menacingly. Lucas just grinned as she pulled him closer until there was barely an inch between the two of them. It was a wonder no teacher had wandered by and given them detention for 'unbecoming behavior'.

Brandon figured now would be a good time to interrupt them before he felt like a creep for spying. He walked up to them and gave them a general head nod. Simple, symbolic, and unemotional; a perfect Rebel greeting. "Sup Hart, Moral compass" he greeted.

Maya let go of the taller boy and both of them turned to the new arrival. Their smiles, while less face-splitting, were still genuine and friendly. Brandon was thankful to have someone who wasn't gossiping about or afraid of him.

"Sup Rebel. Long time, no see."

"Hey man. Welcome back."

Brandon accepted the pat on the back and fist bump from the two. "We all still have Matthews as History teacher again?" he asked.

"Yup. We don't really know how it happened, but it happened" Maya shrugged, questioning the school's process of rotating teachers through the years.

Lucas frowned slightly. "Hey, I like Mr Matthews' class. They are unique and informative."

"Oh, be quiet Sundance."Maya tossed back rolling her eyes. Brandon noticed that the small smile never left her face. Something was going on between these two. Brandon had only been around them for five minutes but he could tell. Hell, anyone could tell five seconds into watching them interact.

'Huh,' he thought to himself, 'here's a female in a relationship that can give me better advice than Q. I should just ask Hart.'

"Yo Hart. You got a second to talk?" he asked. When she nodded but didn't move he added, "In private?"

Maya's left eyebrow rose to her hairline. "Umm. I guess." she agreed, moving away from the lockers and towards the restrooms. Brandon followed her, but not before noticing the frown on Lucas' face and seeing his eyes dim. For a moment he looked like a kid in the sandbox you had his favorite toy taken away. He looked heartbroken, of sorts.

Maya leaned against the vending machine, kicking a foot up against it. The machine dinged and a protein bar fell out. Brandon watched her peel of the wrapper and start munching before she nodded at him. "Ok, shoot. What's up?"

A shrug of the shoulders was the response she got. "Nuthin' much. You know these crazy rumors going around about why I was gone?" Maya smiled and nodded, still chewing on the bar. "Well," he continued "my brother suggested the best way to deal with it is to just talk to someone or find someone to share stuff with. He kinda suggested," Brandon rolled his eyes at this part "that I get a girlfriend to share stuff with."

Maya burst out laughing at that. She slammed her palm against the vending machine a couple of time as she was doubled over in laughter. "Is this... is this your version of asking me out then?" he asked in between chuckles.

Brandon shook his head. "Actually, I wanted the advice of someone in a relationship, and figured you were the best choice since you are now together with the Moral Compass." He answered, pointing over his shoulder at Lucas still at the lockers.

"WHAT! You think... Me and... No, we're not, I mean he and I aren't..." Maya spluttered, eyes wide and face reddening prettily. Brandon just rose a single eyebrow in challenge. At that, Maya's eye's narrowed and she pointed at him. "Listen you. I don't have to explain myself to you, but I am not dating Ranger Rick."

"Alright then," Brandon reasoned "if you're not seeing anyone currently, then go out with me." At her surprised look he continued. "Look, you and I get along well, and we're really similar. So why not? We'll be two bad kids out causing trouble together. It'll be fun."

Maya's eyes flickered for a second. He was pretty sure it was in Friar's direction, but decided not to call her on it. She took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eyes. "You're right, we are really similar. But that why we wouldn't work well together," At his confusion she pressed on "One of the things I recently learned, is that we all need good kids in our life. They keep us from going to far and help us see the good in ourselves. And it's kind of nice to have someone," her eyes flickered over his shoulder again "who believes in us even on the bad days."

Taking his silence as acceptance and understanding, Maya walked back to the lockers, patting Brandon's back along the way. Halfway there, he heard her call out, "Alright Huckleberry, I decided to be gracious and let you do the animal shelter project." He could literally hear the grin in Lucas' voice.

"You mean let US do the animal shelter project, right?"

"Nope. If we are doing the shelter, then you're doing all the heavy lifting Cowboy."

Brandon turned around to see the two of them walk into the History classroom, smiles still beaming. Shaking his head he reached into his jacket pocket for another stick of gum. Just then he heard a door open behind him and before he could turn around, someone crashed into him.

"Oh, no. I'm so sorry." a sweet voice called out to him. Looking up he made eye contact with Riley Matthews. She had changed in the last year. She was still tall and gangly limbs, but she seemed more confident, more mature. Her fashion sense had also changed. She was now dressing with a unique style, standing out without seeming uncomfortable. Her hair was also in a high ponytail instead of flowing free. 'It's a good look since she last decided to dress up as a princess.' he thought to himself.

Riley offered him a hand and he took it without to much thought. When he rose to full height,her eyes brightened and she smiled a big smile at him. "Hi Rebel. Welcome back." She reached over and hugged him affectionately and Brandon found himself smiling. She always was friendly, that still seemed the same.

"Thanks Matthews. You're looking good." he said smirking at her "I like the new look."

Riley blushed and touched her hair lightly. "Thank you."she said softly, hugging a giant history textbook to her chest. "So how have you been? What have you been up to?"

Brandon rolled his eyes. "Oh I'm sure you've heard all the stupid rumors about where I have been." he said begrudgingly. Some part of him was hoping she wasn't the type to listen to crazy rumors.

"Oh, I don't listen to those rumors. I would rather just ask you."

'Looks like she isn't the type' he thought happily. Maybe telling one person the truth wouldn't be so bad. "Truth is, I was actually in New Mexico, taking care of my Nana after surgery. I was the only one not overseas or in a college scholarship program who could do it."

He watched as Riley's eyes softened with... something. He couldn't tell what exactly, but he was interested in finding out. "Awww," she gushed "that was sweet."

Brandon rolled his eyes in good humor. "Yeah, Yeah. Just don't go ruining my street cred."

Now it was Riley's turn to roll her eyes. "Ugh, why are boys so worried about their street cred all of a sudden."They both grinned at each other at that. Brandon stuck out his hand to her and uncurled his fist. Inside was a thin strip wrapped in silver.

"Gum?"

Riley shook her head quickly, squeezing the textbook closer to her. "Oh no, I can't. Class is about to start and we are not allowed to chew gum in there." Brandon smirked and raised his eyebrow in question.

"Are you mocking me?" Riley fumed. She glared at him for all of two seconds before swiping the stick of gum from his hand and popping it in her mouth. "Ohh, peach flavor. My favorite." she said happily before smiling at him and walking to the classroom. "Thanks Brandon."

As Brandon smiled at her retreating figure, his brothers words came to mind. _"Seriously. Find a girl who just like you for you. Someone who you can talk to and share stuff with. Someone who won't judge you, because she already knows who you really are."_

"Hey Matthews, Want to go see a movie with me tomorrow?"

 **Leave a comment/prompt/criticism/review!**


	2. Geralyn

**So while I was writing down the first chapter to the series, tiramisuspice blew past me and wrote THREE chapters! How the hell am I supposed to keep up? Remember, I promised to write one chapter for every time she updates "Love and War', so I owe her three more fics. Not sure I am going to ever catch up to her speed, but I figure I owe it to myself and the Lucaya community and anyone who is enjoying this series. Well then, here's the next one.**

 **POV character: Geralyn Thompson/ Lunchlady Geralyn**

 **Characters: Geralyn, Riley, Maya, Lucas, Farkle**

 **Non-Lucaya pairing: None**

 **Comments: There are two other characters in this fic, but I didn't give them any actual names. I called them by identifing features since they don't have any actual speaking roles. It's true, that Geralyn would know what their names are since she knows all her children, but she calls Riley 'Scarecrow' so I figured I could use nicknames. Also, this takes place in season 2, but before Girl meets Hurricane. By the way, there's a reference to a BMW episode in here. See if you can spot it.**

"Thursday is mashed potato day! "

Geralyn Thompson, Head Lunchroom worker was in full swing today. It was elective week again and now a whole new class was going to learn about the rigors and hard work of 'cafeteria duty'. They would would work for a week, complain the whole way through, and then leave to go back to their normal, daily lives. But Geralyn would remain as always, behind the counter, making sure that everyone of her students was well cared for and taken care of foodwise.

"And Friday is Fishstick day. Now I know that may not seem glamorous to you, but it is a very important schedule that must be followed." She turned back to the two 'volunteers' to see if they are still paying attention or drifting off. Sure enough the boy with braces and the girl wearing a beanie are staring off in different directions. Geralyn snaps her fingers and the harsh noise echos around the metal pots and pans. Braces jumps a bit, while Beanie just arcs a pierced eyebrow.

"Look, the schedule is important. Not all kids get a full or balanced meal at home, so the rotation allows them to get the right nutritional requirements. So do not mess with my rotation, got it?" she demanded, hands on her hips, head leaning down at the two youngsters. Braces took a step back looking around for the nearest exit, but Beanie stood her ground.

"You two need to change. You can't work in a sanitary environment wearing," she gestured all over them, pointing at bronze zippers, untied laces and scuffed jeans. "...that" Geralyn walked over to the locker in the kitchen and pulled out two lunch room uniforms and a pair of hairnets. "These should be your sizes. Now go get dressed."

After showing the two students the basics of the kitchen area (which included instructions on how to ' peel a potato and put it in a pot'), Geralyn instructed Braces on what to prepare for the next day while she and Beanie (who was now, ironically, without a beanie) set up the serving area.

"Now there are over 1000 students in John Quincy Adams Middle School. They all have specific dietary requirements and food choice preferences." Beanie looked wide eyed at her as she went on. "Every student has a specific preference of main course, vegetable and especially dessert." She then pointed to her self proudly, "And I know them all!"

Beanie just raised an eyebrow disbelief as if saying 'Yeah, right.'. Geralyn huffed at her lack of faith. "Fine. Don't believe me?" she challenged the student "Pick someone."

Beanie-not-Beanie looked around the cafeteria that was filling up. Students were claiming tables, sitting down, opening books or pulling lunch out of lunchboxes. Some of them had started making their way towards the beginning of the lunch line. A group of four, two girls and two boys, were at the head of the line. The two boys were laughing at some thing the blonde was saying, while the brunette girl was trying to stifle her giggles. She grinned at Geralyn and nodded in the direction of the approaching group.

"Ahh, my favorite troublemakers." she smiled nostalgically. Being aware of more than a thousands students dietary needs meant that she couldn't have favorites, but these four would always have a special place in her heart. She pointed at the tall, brunette girl who was grabbing a lunch tray.

"First up is Riley Matthews. Her favorite day is Fishstick Friday, but she likes chicken nuggets well enough. She'll pick a jello as her dessert but won't decide what flavor without consulting her best friend." At this point Geralyn pointed at the short blonde in leggings and leather jacket.

"That's Maya Hart, said best friend. She will get the nuggets too, so they can share in case Riley wants more."Geralyn smiled down at her apprentice. "Maya doesn't get a lot of home cooked meals, so I'm going to give her some meatloaf too. She'll huff and puff, but still take it." Maya was now punching a tall handsome boy in the arm. He pretended to be hurt, but overplayed it to the point where everyone was laughing at his overblown reactions. Maya went to swing at him again but he ducked out of the way, bobbing and weaving away from the erratic punches. He started to duck behind the other two in the group but Maya began chasing him around before leaping onto his back, arms around his neck while he swung her around lightly. Neither stopped smiling throughout.

The Head Lunchroom worker looked down to see 'Beanie'less-Beanie blushing as she took in the scene. Her eye seemed to gravitate to the tall boy's arm. Geralyn rolled her eyes at the teenager.

"The boy you're drooling over is Lucas Friar." Daydreamer-Beanie snapped out of her haze and looked back to her supervisor embarrassingly. "Ohh sweetie don't worry. You're not the first to go gaga over him, and I'm sure you won't be the last." She looked down to check the temperature gauge in the meatloaf before continuing. "Now Lucas prefers a healthier fare. He will take the meatloaf and pile on the steamed veggie mix. He knows I make the meatloaf from scratch with fresh, organic ingredients, so he will take notice of it and say something about it. Sweet boy. Now he doesn't usually eat anything beyond fresh fruit for his dessert, but if Maya doesn't get dessert for herself, he'll ask for the biggest slice of pie I have."

"The goofy boy with the hair," she said indicating a lanky teen boy with a page boy haircut and blue turtleneck who was grinning at two smiling teens next to him. "is Farkle Minkus. He always goes after the girls have served. He never eats anything with brussel sprouts, is allergic to brown rice and will at some point try to build something out of his food. He picks his choice based on the girls. If Riley gets chicken pot pie and Maya gets sloppy joe's, he''l get both. If Maya gets cheese pizza and Riley gets tacos, he'll get both of those too." She leaned down to whisper, "He's also a real ladies man, so try not to be weirded out is he flirts." The young teen just looked at her confused .

"Come on now, young one." Geralyn said, herding her lunch-line partner to the counter. "Lunch has started! Bring on the maniacs!" As they took their positions, Beanie manning the nuggets and meatloaf station while Geralyn stood by the Vegetables and Dessert areas.

Riley and Maya slid up to them with smiles on their faces. They both waved over to the Head Lunchroom worker greeting, "Good Afternoon Geralyn" they both greeted.

"Hello girls." Geralyn replied before she saw the fun little twinkle in both their eyes. In perfect synchronization Riley, Maya and she flipped their hair back, batted their right hands at each other and said "Stop it." They all laughed, even Lucas and Farkle who were behind.

Maya turned to the quiet girl manning the chicken nuggets and nodded to her. "So you're the new rookie who got stuck with cafeteria duty, huh?" Beanie nodded back. "Little advice, the paprika and chili powder are on the top shelf."

"There will be no additions to the mashed potatoes." Geralyn shouted. "What are you supposed to do Maya?"

Maya rolled her eyes affectionately. "Peel the potatoes, put them in the pot." she huffed.

Riley tried to break the tension by speaking to Beanie-not-Beanie. "Um, could I have the Chicken nuggets?" she asked politely with a smile. She had a sweet, comforting smile that made everyone around smile too. She demurely took the nuggets and popped one in her mouth.

" No eating in line Matthews." Geralyn chastised. She wasn't upset though, she could never get angry at sweet little Riley.

Maya leaned on the counter and looked over the new server. Geralyn could see that Beanie was a little intimidated by Maya. Her black, ringed jacket and torn jeans gave her an ominous presence. "Toss me some of the nuggets too, rook."

Geralyn reached over and placed a plate of meatloaf on Maya's tray with a side of carrots, right next to the chicken nuggets that Beanie had placed on there. Maya winced slightly and moaned to Geralyn "Aww Geralyn, you know I'm not a meatloaf kinda girl."

The Head Lunchroom worker merely shook her serving spoon at the blonde. "Eat the meatloaf Maya. I put a lot of hard work and love into it." Maya just smiled and shifted to the dessert section where Riley was.

The brunette was looking over the dessert assortment in conflict. As Maya stepped closer, Riley turned to her and asked, "Maya, I don't know which jello to get. Should I pick Strawberry, Lemon or Lime?"

"Get the Lime Green Jello, sweetie. You had Strawberry yesterday and Lemon last week."

Riley nodded. "You're right. Strawberry is for little kids. I need something that shows that I'm tough and dangerous." She snatched a bowl of the green jello and started to head for the table.

Maya smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Sure sweetie, you're as dangerous as that jello"

Geralyn chuckled a bit watching the two girls walk away. She turned back to the line to see Lucas and Farkle talking with Beanie. Beanie was blushing slightly as Lucas said hello to her. He turned to Geralyn and greeted her with a "Good afternoon Ms. Thompson."

She smiled at the sweet young man. "Good afternoon Lucas. How is your mother doing?" She always like to inquire about Lucas' mother, who seemed to have instilled in her son, good manners and an appreciation for eating healthy.

"She's doing quite well Ms. Thompson. I'll pass on your regards to her." He said smiling to the older woman. He then turned to the younger girl and questioned, "Could I please get some of the organic meatloaf?" Beanie blushed some more and mumbled a bit before giving the biggest piece of meatloaf to Lucas. Lucas smiled brightly and thanked her before moving to accept a plate full of steamed veggies from Geralyn.

Before moving off however he turned to look at Riley and Maya sitting now at a table not too far. Riley was gesturing animatedly with her hands while Maya was clutching her sides in laughter. Lucas smiled affectionately, his green eyes softening before they drifted to Maya's tray. Noticing the lack of a dessert he sighed and turned back to Geralyn. "Ahh, Ms. Thompson, would it be possible if I could get your largest slice of cherry pie. It looks like 'someone' forgot to get herself dessert today."

Geralyn leaned under the table and pulled out a large slice of pie she had set aside in anticipation of this. She smiled at him and said "I put an extra serving of whipped cream on it for you, dear." Lucas gave her his biggest smile so far and thanked her sincerely before heading to join the blonde and brunette.

Farkle meanwhile was chatting non-stop with the young beanie-less girl to her side. "Hello, Lunch lady!" he said flirtatiously when Geralyn walked up to them. Geralyn's cheeks reddened ever so slightly as she mildly giggled and softly said "Farkle."

The bowl-cut boy continued talking non-stop. "So, like I was saying. I really like the chicken nuggets because I used to eat them a lot when I was in Kindergarten and I developed a taste for them, but I also really like meatloaf because, well I don't know 'why' I like meatloaf, but my dad liked meatloaf as a kid and he did really well for himself and I kind of want to be like him, except take over the world instead of just control a company, so maybe it's genetic, I don't know, I really like both of them so could I maybe get a plate of each." He stopped at that point and looked at both of them with puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Geralyn laughed as Beanie-less rolled her eyes but smiled as she handed over one plate of both meatloaf and chicken nuggets. Farkle grinned at her and called out "Thank you!" as he snagged a bowl of lemon jello before running to join his friends. Riley was waving him over while Maya was teasing Lucas while she ate chunks of cherry pie off his plate. He flicked some whipped cream at her and grinned at her fuming face with a blob of white on her nose.

"Ha, told you I knew my kids. I know what they like to eat, what they need in their diet and what makes them happy." She noticed that her protege wasn't paying attention and noticed her looking wistfully at the handsome Mr. Friar. "I wouldn't get my hopes up, hun. I know a few thing about what goes together with what." she said gesturing to the assortment meats and veggies. Every main course had a fitting vegetable dish in the same row, making it easy to grab. She nodded over to Lucas and Maya play-fighting over the last few crumbs of the cherry pie. "And those two are going to end up together. Trust me, because I know all my children and I know what makes them happy."

 **So I actually started this chapter first, couldn't complete it,started chapter 3, finished that and then came back for this one. That's why it may seem a little rushed and less put together then the other chapters. I'm posting both chapters tonight and even though some people may like chapter 3 more, I'm hoping you all will review both the chapters.**


	3. Ms Kossel

**You know those three chapters I owe tramisuspice? Well she just turned it into six! 'Sigh' Someone keep track for me, I'm just going to keep writing till my fingers fall off.**

 **POV character:Ms Kossel**

 **Characters:Ms. Kossel, Maya, Lucas**

 **Non-Lucaya pairing: None**

 **Comments: This is from a request of tiramisuspice. She wanted me to try my hand at a Dangerous! Lucas, and well, this is what came up. Not sure if it's Dangerous! Lucas or Turned On! Lucas who appears here. Possibly Asshole! Lucas winds up taking the spotlight. All I know is that things wound up getting a little steamy and I finally have a reason to list this series under T for Teen. Some inspiration has been drawn from 'Playing with Fire' by tiramisuspice. This takes place in High School (possibly Sophomore or Junior year) and just like Cory, Ms. Kossel has wound up being the Art teacher throughout the years following them into High School.**

"There is no such thing as too much passion in art!" Ms. Kossel's voice rings out to her class. "Art is about emotion, and passion is one of your greatest emotions. Let it be an instrument for you, like a brush or canvas." She walked round the classroom, eyes sweeping over all the works of art her high school students were finishing up as she continued. "Never hold back any feelings, lest it diminish the piece you're working on. Many artists have fallen short because they were too afraid to fully express themselves." She opened her mouth to continue but was interrupted by the end-of-day bell. Class was over and it was time for everyone to go home.

As her students cleared off their work spaces, and started to file out she called out, "Remember everyone, class projects are due at the end of the semester. I want to see drafts of what you plan to do in the next few weeks." Stopping by Maya's work area she tapped the blonde on the shoulder. Maya looked up, her oversized shirt draped over her tiny body. Maya had a weird quirk of dressing for art class in a sports bra and a large shirt that was covered in paint splatter. She said it was in order to remain as comfortable as possible when painting while still protecting herself from the paint. Maya usually completed the ensemble with old, worn out jeans; but today had decided to opt for a ruffled skirt that fell to the top of her knees.

"Maya, you have heard of the New York Foundation for the Arts, correct?"

Maya nodded. "Absolutely, the NYFA is the biggest charity that supports artist in New York. They are responsible for scholarships, fellowships and stipends that help all kind of artists."

Ms. Kossel smiled. Of course Maya would know that. She was very dedicated to the arts scene in Manhattan and kept up to date on the latest news. "Well, the New York Foundation of the Arts holds a competition every year for high school students. The contest is like an informal meet of up-and-coming artists. All the best Fine Arts students from across the state will be there. And I want you to enter a piece."

Maya's eyes widened. "Ms. Kossel there's no way I could ever compete with all those great artists. None of my pieces would hold a candle to theirs." She was shaking her head, opting a defeatist attitude. Ms. Kossel gently placed a hand on Maya's shoulder.

"Maya, honey, we have talked about this. You are a GREAT artist. Your art is always full of emotion and imagination and hope. You promised your friend Riley that you would never quiet your voice again, remember?" Maya nodded gently, smiling at the memory from middle school. "I'm going to look over your paintings from this year and enter one of them for you, with your permission."

Maya smiled back at her. "Okay, if you really think they are good enough."

"Of course they are good enough" a new voice rang out. Both females turned to see the fine form of Lucas Friar leaning casually against the door frame. "She's easily one of the best art students this school has every produced!"

"Thank you! See Maya, I'm not the only one who knows how great you are." Maya grinned and rolled her eyes at the taller boy, a teasing spark lighting up her eyes. Ms. Kossel walked towards Lucas. "Mr. Friar, would you please convince her to let me enter her art into the competition. I'm going to grab my purse from the teachers lounge and head home. Lock up when you leave." And with that she walked out the door.

The teachers lounge was empty when she got there. Most of them liked getting out of school as much as the students did. She searched the purse making sure all her essential items were there but as she walked out of the room she remembered what was missing. "Oh, forgot the papers I'm supposed to grading back in the class room." she said smacking her forehead in frustration. Turning back towards the Art department she swiftly walked back to the art classroom. As she neared, she could see the lights were still on. "Guess Ms. Hart and Mr. Friar are having quite a talk." she mused. Intrigued by what her favorite student was like outside of classroom lectures, Ms. Kossel peeked through the window.

Maya and Lucas were standing by the blonde's work bench. Maya was putting away supplies as they talked and Lucas was hovering near her bench and a neighboring bench. He had placed his book bag down alongside his jacket which left him in a tight tee and jeans. His arms were crossed but he held a teasing smirk on his face. Ms. Kossel moved closer to the window to hear what they were talking about.

"Come on Maya. It will be fine. You'll wind up winning the contest, everyone will cheer for you and we can get a free dinner out of it." Lucas grinned at her.

"I'm sorry," Maya looked up with a slight frown on her face "'WE', what do you mean 'WE'? What make you think you are coming with me?" she questioned. Most of her things still needed to be put away and the workspace had to be cleared (it was still full of paint cans and an empty canvas was laid down on the right side of the table), but this conversation was taking precedence.

"Well who else are you going to take?" he wiggled his eyebrows taunting her.

"Listen Huckleberry," she spat, pointing the paintbrush in her hand at him "I can get a date if I wanted to. There's no guarantee that you get a free dinner out of this just be cause you want to be around me."

"Please, I was just offering before you begged me to be your 'plus one'." The smirk never left his face.

Maya stepped up to him. "Bet you come begging to me before the contest." she challenged him, eyes blazing and smile gleaming. The paintbrush was still in her hands. She twirled it round her fingers expertly waiting for his response.

"Never gonna happen, darlin."

Maya's smile grew naughty as she turned away and walked back to the work bench still twirling the paintbrush. All of a sudden the brush slipped from her fingers and tumbled to the ground, rolling to a stop a few feet in front of her. Maya stopped and smiled at him. "Whoops", she laughed. She turned her body away from him and then bent down at the waist. Thanks to her high heels and the short skirt, Lucas had a perfect view of her pale legs. His eye followed them from her shoes up past the knees, ending at the skirt, which cut off barely an inch from her ass. It was a killer image, covering up, but still leaving little to the imagination. Lucas stared, hypnotized for a second before his knees buckled and he stumbled backwards to one of the neighboring worktables. Maya straightened up and looked back at him over her shoulder, smiling coyly.

She then walked to her work bench and swiftly spun around, her skirt flaring. Lucas got a second look at her legs and his eyes were drawn to her immaculate thighs. He grit his teeth in an attempt to regain control of his mind that was wandering into dark and depraved areas. Maya hopped up onto her table and sat down next to the blank canvas, her legs falling of the edge and swinging lightly. She grinned at him teasingly. One eyebrow perched at the top of her brow in challenge. Lucas gripped the edge of the table behind him, nails digging into the varnish. He could feel his muscles tighten and he was breathing faster. Control was slipping, fast.

"I think," he grit out "you're taking our game too far. Its getting a little...charged." He rolled his shoulders back, trying to relieve some tension, Maya however just watched the material of his tee stretch over his defined chest. Something was awakening inside her, sending jolts of... something indescribable down her spine. She unconsciously began rubbing her thumb over the rough wood of her paintbrush, humming at the feel of it between her fingers.

Lucas eyed her wolfishly, entranced by the golden curls framing her face, the oversized shirt she was using as a smock, the skirt she was wearing riding up past her knees. His eyes were drawn to the alabaster legs dangling at the edge of the table. He was leering at them when it happened.

Maya decided 'out-of-the-blue' to cross her legs. The look on her face was innocent enough, but that twinkle in her eye was nothing short of devilish. He stood mesmerized as one leg lifted over the other to fully cross them, and for half- a-second, just half-a-second, he swore he saw purple lace. Maya's foot tapped rhythmically against the table leg in slow beats. Lucas removed his right hand from the table to wipe away the beads of sweat that were forming at his hairline. His hair was already starting to darken due to the moisture, soon it would rival the dark look in his eyes. As he reached back for the table, Maya uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them. Oh, he defiantly saw purple that time! His eye shot to her face only to see her biting her lip with nothing less than complete wanton desire in her eyes.

Maya watched with heat in her eyes as Lucas' hands finally released their death grip on the table and he slowly stalked towards her. Her heart was jack-hammering in her chest and ever step he took raised more goosebumps. His slow progression finally ended when he was standing in front of her, barely an inch between them. Even sitting on the table, she still had to tilt her head up to look him in his eyes, and the look was turning her on. She had to lean back slightly when Lucas placed his palms on the table, right at her ass.

"Maybe we should take a breather," she said breathlessly "neither of us is playing fair." She was surprised she was still capable of speech when Lucas was so close she could smell pine musk wafting from him. She could almost taste the sweat on him and it was leaving her mind with a host of filthy images of her tongue painting his body.

Lucas' eyes stared deep into her, filled with want and lust, tinged with need and affection. His voice made an unnatural, throaty sound as his fingers started skimming across the goosebumps on her arms. "Who's playing anymore?" Maya was out of answers. She bit her lip in an effort to gain more control. As she did, her legs uncrossed one more time, and her knee gently grazed his crotch. Lucas rolled his eyes upwards in pleasure before looking back at her through half-lidded eyes. He let out a sharp breath before he growled out, "Ah, to hell with it!" and dove in.

Maya gasped, the feeling of completion flooding through her veins when their lips collided. Neither could keep track of what was going on. His fingers were in her hair, hers were curled at his collar. His legs collided with the table as hers wrapped around him. He hoisted her high so she was above him, knocking over paint cans as he did so, and Maya got to experience looking down while kissing someone. Her hands were everywhere, in his hair, clenching his shoulders, pulling down on his collar. Every expanse of skin revealed was instantly covered up by her red lips. At some point Lucas lay Maya back, but on the canvas instead of the table. Her shirt had ridden up and the canvas fabric was caressing her back. Lucas slowly pushed the bottom of her shirt higher up, revealing inch upon inch of beautiful, creamy, ivory skin. He started laying open-mouthed kisses on her toned stomach, going clockwise around her bellybutton.

Heat was building up at her core, her body was on fire and the kisses were the only relief she got. She could feel his tongue, cool and wet, sending shivers across her belly. "Oh god, Lucas. More" she quivered, her hands pushing his head lower. Never had she thought she would utter Lucas Friar's name in the same sentence as god. She could feel him smirk against her skin as he gave her one last, long kiss right where he stopped; just south of her navel. The spot where all the pressure was building. He nipped the end of her navel before rolling his tongue inside it, trying to taste the heat inside her.

Her hands whipped out around her erratically, trying to reach for something. They knocked over jars of glitter and charcoal sticks, one finally landing on a palette mixed with bright paints. The sticky substance coated her fingers and contrasted with the roughness of his tongue. Her other hand found the back of his shirt and she yanked, hard. The tee came off in seconds. Lucas, to his credit, barely slowed down in his lips return journey up her belly. Maya pulled him up to her and kissed hard, her talented tongue fighting his experienced one for dominance. All the while her hands danced the surface of his chest, glided across his back, skated over his abs. Lucas' own hands had landed in paint from an overturned can and were now literally drawing circles on Maya's inner thigh. Green circles.

Maya's need to breathe made her turn her head away from him, but Lucas' athlete lungs allowed him to continue to kiss and bite at her neck and the creamy shoulder that her shirt had exposed. His hot kisses drew primal sounds from Maya, sounds that finally woke Ms. Kossel from her stupor.

Ms. Kossel stepped back flushed and feeling voyeuristic. She was supposed to be a teacher, an authority figure who brought about order and discipline. Now she just felt like a pervert. She had to stop them, they were about to go too far. Also she would have to clean up the art classroom after them! But she was too embarrassed to just walk through the door and interrupt them mid-makeout. If you could even call it that. So she did the next best thing. She went to the Janitorial office.

Quickly stepping down the hallway and hanging a left, she stopped in front of a maintenance closet. It was a large closet that had supplies, equipment and... and electric breaker for this wing of the school. Popping it open, she ran a finger over the mapped diagram showing which switch controlled the electricity for each classroom. She stopped at the one labeled 'Art Classroom'. Without hesitation she reached over and flicked it off.

After a few seconds of waiting that felt like hours she heard laughter and the sound of running. She glanced to the door in time to see two shadows dart past and Maya's giggles ring out as Lucas shouted, "Give it back Maya!". Daring a peek, she cracked the door open to see Maya and Lucas running down the hallway, their backs to her. Maya was covered in paint and her hair was matted in clumps of pink and green. Her skirt, now a muddy mix of yellow and orange caught the light in spots, probably due to the glitter that had stuck to it. In her hands was a light blue tee that she kept twirling around her as she ran further and further. A few feet behind her was Lucas, sans shirt. He had less paint on him compared to Maya but was by no means clean. His back gleaned with sweat and more glitter had adhered itself to him. There were black charcoal marks running diagonally across his back, looking like claw marks. His belt was unbuckled and his pants were hanging low on his waist, low enough that Ms. Kossel could see the rear of his boxers...that were drenched in yellow paint.

Ms. Kossel waited until the had rounded the corner before she turned back to the fuse-box. She flipped the switch for the Art Classroom back on and left to survey the damage. She stepped into a fairly clean-ish room. Most of the desks were in order and the chairs were put away. It was just the one area that was a total mess. Maya's work space was caked in paint. There were paint cans on the floor leaking out viscous paint, art supplies were tosses about, a water jar with used brushes was dripping. Some of the brushes and palettes were knocked off the desk and had slid under neighboring desks.

"This is going to be a head-ache to clean." she muttered to herself walking up to the desk. Just as she reached it she stopped short. She could see the canvas that Maya had laid down on. The one that was blank previously.

Bright colors swirled together messily. Reds and yellows and pinks and blues with traces of green and orange dotting the edges. The bottom of it had ruffles forming, probably from the fringe of Maya's skirt. The center had minute cross patterns imprinted by the textured smock/shirt that Maya had worn. Random areas were covered by painted hand-prints, some large and masculine palms, others were small with long dainty fingers. At the upper corner was one hand print covering another as if two hands were clenched together tightly. Bits of glitter were scattered on top, looking like rain drops descending. Strands of blonde hair had gotten caught in the drying paint. They formed wisp-like smoke patterns in the colorful swirls. It was one of the most incredible pieces Ms. Kossel had ever seen. And right near the bottom corner of the painting were two round-like shapes in yellow paint. An ass-print.

"Well," she said to the empty classroom "it's like I said." She smiled "There's no such thing as too much passion in art."

* * *

She enters the piece in the contest and grins when a confused Maya wins first place with a piece she doesn't even remember painting.

 **Hope you enjoyed this one. Leave a comment or review to let me know what you think I may need to work on.**


	4. Harper Burgess

**POV character: Harper Burgess**

 **Characters: Harper Burgess, Karen Valentine, Ms. Kossel, Farkle, Maya, Lucas, Riley**

 **Non-Lucaya pairing: None**

 **Comments: Ms. Kossel hasn't been given a first name officially on the GMW wikia so I used the 'Darby and Sarah' naming standard where you use the actor's first name as the character's. So her name becomes Aisha Kossel. I thought it was pretty. Karen Valentine is the creation of tiramisuspice who has generously lent me the character to include in this fic. Check out her 'Love and War' series for 'The Project' which stars Karen Valentine's observations of Lucaya**

Harper Burgess really enjoyed her new job. Literature was a personal and important subject to her. She had loved books all her life, a love passed on to her by her beloved father. So being allowed to teach it, to middle school students who were in the midst of an influential point in their lives was a big win for her. It was her passion. On top of that she had kids that wanted to learn, facilities that nurtured growth and discussion and teachers that believed and supported her. Like Mr. Matthews who stood by her side unwaveringly on her first week, or Ms. Kossel who welcomed her and showed her around and sat with her in the teachers lounge, or Ms. Valentine who was a new substitute that she bonded with because they started teaching at John Quincy Adams at the same time.

"Morning Harper!" the auburn haired substitute greeted her.

"Good morning, Ms. Valentine!" Harper greeted back to her friend, smiling at her as she joined the English teacher at the table.

"Oh for goodness sakes Harper, call me Karen. I'm 26 years, no one calls me 'Ms. Valentine'!" Karen said flustered. She was slightly older then Harper but they both bonded over shared experiences. Harper also believed she would be a great teacher who was invested in her students and wanted to see them grow.

"I will Karen, I was just teasing!" Harper grinned. They smiled at each other and began looking over their own lesson plans for the day. About half way through their review, Ms. Kossel ran up to their table. She was grinning from ear to ear and seemed giddy.

"You will never believe what I just saw while driving into school!" Ms. Kossel was bouncing on her feet in excitement, hands clenched tightly. Harper got up and eased her into a seat by them.

"Easy Aisha, you look like you might pass out." she said handing the Art teacher a glass of water. She wondered what would make a grown woman act like this.

"I was driving in when I saw it. It was by the entrance of the school. I had pulled into my parking spot near your bike and looked up to see Lucas Friar leaping up the steps. And guess who was on his back?" she grinned, eyes gleaming like a teenage girl.

Both Harper and Karen raised an eyebrow not grasping the point of this exercise before Karen asked, "Alright, who?"

"Maya Hart. She was on his back, arms wrapped around his neck and laughing as he ran up the steps. It's another Lucaya moment."

"Aisha, calm down. You're about to have a stroke." Karen said, not understanding what was going on.

Harper was a little more aware of the term having heard mention of it during lunch and from Aisha herself at times. "Lucaya is the term some of the teachers have given to the idea of Lucas Friar and Maya Hart." she waved her hands about as if it would explain it better. "You know, like how celebrity couples have a mish-mash of their names to signify a relationship. It's a silly thing really."

Aisha glared lightly at the English teacher. "Hey, I am an Art teacher. I'm passionate about everything, even my Lucaya moments. Plus," she said waving them off "you watch them together and try to deny they have a spark."

Harper and Karen both shook their head as if they were talking to a small child. The bell rang a second later and they had to head off for their respective classes. Karen volunteered to take a delirious Aisha to the nurses office as Harper headed off the the English classroom

"Honestly, who gets so invested in their kid's love lives?"

* * *

Harper's current teaching plan was to study the various personalities of character and see how their upbringing and past choices influenced the choices they made later in the books. In order to do this she turned to her favorite teaching material, comic books! The kids were currently discussing the concept of responsibility for a superhero.

"So, why is it that superheroes choose to risk their lives on a daily basis, not expecting any reward or fame?" she posed the question to the class.

"Superheroes feel they have a responsibility to the world around them them to use their powers to help those around them without powers." A deep voice answered. Harper turned to the speaker, Lucas Friar. Ever since she found out that Lucas was an avid comic book enthusiast, she noticed he would speak up more and give well thought out opinions on the material. He was familiar with most well known comics and seemed to enjoy the class more and more. He was turning out to be one of her top students.

"But why do the feel responsible to the world around them?" Harper pressed on, wanting them to connect the past of these characters to their choices to dive into danger. "What drives them?"

"Tragedy." The answer came from her other top student, one that was becoming more vocal in class and was no longer afraid to show how smart she was. Maya Hart. "Tragedy they faced as children spurs them on to fight against the crime that causes the tragedy." Maya had an observant eye, a 'trait from being an artist' as Ms. Kossel frequently told her. She would pick up details faster then anyone else, especially if it was in a graphic novel.

"Good, what else?"

Farkle piped up at this point. "Most superheroes were raised by caregivers that taught them the ideals that they hold true to as heroes. Like Batman!" he said, eyes gleaming. Farkle, it seemed, had an slight obsession with the Dark Knight.

Harper clapped her hands together "Excellent! We can see the influence that past occurrences have had on characters that shape how they see the world. This is a concept that is seen in literature across time. Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, even Shakespeare have used this to make us understand why we make the choices we make." She was very proud of her class.

"Let's try an assignment. I want you to pick a superhero, preferably one that you relate to. Pretend you are them, put yourself in their shoes and see what choices you would make and why. Then tomorrow you can present out findings to the class." She came up with this assignment just yesterday. It was an attempt to get the class to speak up more and discover different sides of themselves.

Riley's hand shot up and she bounced in her seat. "Can we dress up for the part?" she begged. Harper let out a light laugh. Riley always went the extra mile. She also liked getting into character for parts from what Harper had seen of the school plays.

"Sure Riley," she nodded "in fact, anyone who wants to come to class in costume tomorrow is welcome to." Thank god Principal Yancy was away at a conference halfway across the country, otherwise he would have a fit. "Discuss amongst yourselves what characters you want to be."

Farkle shot up in his seat immediately. "I'm Batman!" he said, grinning. He then looked around the classroom looking for a challenge. When none came he sat back down. The class erupted in talk as students turned to one another to pick characters. Harper walked about the room listening to all the different ideas. These kids were getting creative! She was so happy. She drifted over to the middle of the class where Riley, Farkle, Lucas and Maya were conversing.

"Minkus, whats with you and this Batman thing?" Maya questioned. She was turned towards Riley with one arm on Lucas' desk. Lucas, himself was looking straight at her. Harper knew this wasn't a strange occurrence, but Aisha's comments from earlier were starting to force her to notice things.

"I actually think Farkle is perfect as Batman." Lucas insisted. Maya swiveled in her seat and placed both elbows on Lucas's desk. She rested her chin on her hands and indicated for him to continue. Even with less space then before, Lucas leaned forward while explaining. "Batman is one of the smartest superheroes out there. He creates all these gadgets that put him on the same level as the other superheroes, even though he doesn't have any powers. He's also one of the core members of the Justice League and constantly reminds others why they fight and who for." He turned to look at Farkle. "That's perfect for you Farkle."

Farkle blushed a bit and scratched his head in embarrassment. "Thanks Lucas!" He stood up in his seat again, arms raised in a pose shouting "I'm Batman!" Everyone around laughed affectionately.

Riley turned to Lucas and asked him "What about you Lucas? Who are you going to be?"

"Hadn't decided yet."he replied. "Too many good choices."

The brunette girls eye lit up. "You should be Superman!" She starts clapping hr hands together in elation, her deep brown locks bouncing as she bobs her head. "Oh, that would be perfect for you!"

Lucas looks hesitant, like he's not sure if he's worthy of such a position. It's a look that Harper has seen a few times on the boys face and each time she wonders what happened to make him think he would not be able to live up to the expectation. It's not like he's ever been anything other than Mr. Perfect. As if she sense his trepidation, Maya nudges him and reassures him. "She's right Ranger Rick. You've got 'Big Blue Boy Scout' written all over you. Heck, I'm almost certain you were a boyscout when you were younger and your favorite color is blue, right?" she said indicating his blue button down shirt.

Harper could almost hear Aisha Kossel's words as Lucas' eyes flit up to meet Maya's piercing blue irises. 'You watch them together and try to deny they have a spark.' She was warned. Lucas' eyes dropped down to his desk before he mumbled something about Eagle scouts, his cheeks a rosy hue.

Harper decided to step in and alleviate any further embarrassment. Placing a hand on his shoulder she offered her two cents. "They have a point Lucas. Superman represents honor, integrity, honesty and justice. All things that you have shown, both as class president and everyday daily life." The boost of confidence seemed to do the job as Lucas straightened his back and grinned at her in thanks. Harper couldn't help but notice that Maya too was smiling at her, as if thanking her for helping.

Changing tactics, Harper turned to ask Maya. "What about you Maya? Who best suits you?" Maya seemed conflicted,as if she hadn't thought about it. Or rather, like Lucas, she didn't think she was worthy of relating to a superhero. Before the English teacher could speak though, another opinion made itself heard.

"Wonder Woman."

Maya, Harper, Riley and Farkle all turned to Lucas. Riley seemed inspired, Farkle appeared thoughtful, Maya looked angry and Harper, well, she was intrigued.

Maya jabbed a finger at Lucas' face. "No way Huckleberry. I'm not wearing a stinkin' skirt!" Harper stepped forward immediately trying to placate the tense situation.

"Maya, I don't believe that was what he meant. Wonder Woman represents strength, compassion and is someone who fights for what she believes in. She is a champion of all human rights and a core figure in the Justice League." She smiled down at the young girl, wondering if that was how Lucas saw her.

The tiny firecracker blushed to her roots before mumbling "But Wonder Woman is not blonde."

Harper laughed out loud. "Maya, if that your only excuse, you don't have a leg to stand on." Maya still seemed unsure though, so she turned to her best friend for advise.

"What do you think sweetie?"

The young Matthews gave her the biggest smile she could muster. "Aww peaches, you know you have always been a fierce amazon warrior to me." Maya chuckled at that and then nodded an affirmation to the others. She would be Wonder Woman. Riley grinned at Harper, expecting her question. "Don't worry Harper, I already know who I want to be. But I'm not saying because I want to surprise everyone."

The class bell rang at that moment and Harper scrambled to remind all the students of their assignments as they filed out of the classroom. As one of them was leaving though, she called out to him to stay behind for a minute. A few minutes later she was alone in the room with Lucas.

"Lucas," she started "as our resident comic book expert, I was hoping to get your opinion of the class assignment." The tall bay blushed slightly at the praise. "What do you think of the idea to have the class relate to their heroes and their choices?"

Lucas looked thoughtful for a while before he answered carefully. "I think it was a good idea. The assignment makes us consider the choices we make and how they relate to the world around us. It also reminds us that everyone, even superheroes, face tough times. But at the end, everything turns out for the best. It reminds us to have hope, even for the small things in life." He then grinned. "And dressing up allows us to be kids and not take the assignment too seriously." Harper laughed at that. She really liked this young man. Taking that as his cue to leave Lucas started for the door before she called out once more.

"One more thing Lucas." He turned to face her. "What's your favorite trait of Wonder Woman?" she had no idea why she asked that, but a little voice that sounded like Aisha Kossel wanted her to.

Lucas turned red for a moment and fidgeted with his book bag before whispering "Her eyes." Wonder Woman had blue eyes. Piercing blue eyes. "That and her compassion to protect others before herself." Harper smiled at him, all teeth, nodding at him to leave. Internally she was squealing like a teenager. Aisha was never going to let her live this down.

* * *

The next day was very eventful. Almost all her students came in costume. She was touched by the effort they were willing to go through for a silly little English assignment. Farkle had come in full cape and cowl. His Batman costume was quite authentic and even seemed to have a stocked utility belt. Lucas had come as Superman, as expected. Harper had to admit that his athletic figure filled out the costume well.

Riley, it turned out, dressed as Supergirl. Upon further thought, Harper realized it was perfect for the sweet girl. Supergirl was an happy idealist, always fighting for a good cause and believing in the good in people. She could sometimes seem a bit young and naive compared to the other superheroes, but she never gave up and was one of the strongest characters out there, both as a female and as a superhero. It was an astute decision.

The other students were fully committed to their characters too. Dave had dressed as the quiet Aquaman. Yogi came as the jovial and upbeat Plasticman. Darby and Sarah had coordinated and dressed as the Wonder Twins. Riley had grumbled that she and Maya should have come up with that idea. "After all" she had said, "we have the rings for it."

Right as the bell rang, the door opened and in rushed her last student. Maya Hart. She was wearing dark blue leggings and red heels. She had opted for a conservative deep red, short-sleeved shirt that either she or her mother had stitched the Wonder Woman symbol into. There was a gold painted lasso hanging off her hip and her blonde tresses partly hid a small tiara.

Harper glanced to the middle of the classroom where a dazed Lucas was standing. His face held a look of wonder and admiration, as if nothing else was in the room, as if he was looking at a goddess.

* * *

As soon as lunch came by Harper bolted to the teachers lounge. She spotted Aisha and Karen sitting at their regular table, picking at a tray of muffins, and sprinted to them. She felt giddy. "You guys will not believe the Lucaya moment I just witnessed!"

Karen threw her hands up. "Oh not you too Harper! Can't I find a nice normal group of teacher friends to just get drinks with instead of fangirling over two students."

Aisha shoved a muffin in her face, effectively halting Karen's rant. She grabbed Harper's hand and demanded "Tell me everything."

Harper grinned at her and said, "Well, you know how in the current comic books Superman and Wonder Woman are in a relationship..."

 **I have a headcanon where Maya tells Lucas "You wanna to see a rope trick?", and then uses the Lasso of Truth on him. Anyway, this is what spun its way into my head after the 'Girl meets New Teacher' episode. Big thanks to tiramisuspice for letting me borrow Karen Valentine. I tried to make this fic work as sort of pseudo-prequel to 'The Project' from 'Love and War', but you don't need to read one to understand the other. I just tried to make it fit.**

 **I have a big ask though from all of you. I'm in desperate need of prompts. My POV's seem to dribble in and since I am 10 fics behind where I need to be, I need so ideas. So if you have any characters you want to see a POV from, or Lucaya situation you want to see written, or even a prompt from somewhere online that you like; let me know in a review. Remember, it needs to fit the GMW universe (no fantasy or space AUs),and can't be a POV of Lucas, Maya, Riley, Farkle, Cory or Katy.**

 **Leave a review and let me know. And leave a prompt while you're at it.**


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